Memorial Day Belongs to the Fallen, Not the Politicians

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Dear Clayton Community:

I attended Memorial Day ceremonies in both Clayton and Pleasant Hill this year, and the contrast was striking. Clayton’s ceremony was extraordinary, and the reason was simple: no politicians spoke.

Instead, we heard from the families who lost a son or daughter. We heard from uniformed personnel who participated meaningfully in the program. The focus stayed exactly where it belonged: on those who died in service to our country. It was profoundly moving in a way these ceremonies too rarely are.

Pleasant Hill, by contrast, followed the pattern Clayton itself has fallen into in past years. A parade of elected officials, most of whom never served, took turns at the microphone. Politicians were seated in the front rows and essentially applauded themselves for showing up. Gold Star families received little recognition. A day meant for solemn remembrance became, in effect, another campaign stop.

This is not a partisan complaint, and I mean no offense to our neighbors in Pleasant Hill, who clearly put care into their event. The problem cuts across parties. Memorial Day is not Veterans Day, when we thank the living. It is not the Fourth of July, when civic speeches are fitting. It is the one day each year set aside specifically to honor Americans who gave their lives, and it deserves to be protected from the gravitational pull of politics. When a congressman, county supervisor, or council member who never wore the uniform takes the podium ahead of a grieving mother, something has gone wrong.

Clayton got it right this year. The families spoke. The service members stood at the center. The dead were remembered as individuals, not as backdrops. I hope our city keeps it exactly this way, and I hope other communities take note. The best thing politicians can do on Memorial Day is sit quietly in the back, listen, and let the day belong to those who earned it.